Symposium held as part of the 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Association of Cancer Registries, Khon Kaen, Thailand, 8-10 November 2000textarticle2001engThe 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Association of Cancer Registries was held in Khon Kaen,Thailand, in November 2000. This was the first meeting in Asia since 1994 and the Executive of the Association hadsuggested to the organisers that it would be appropriate to dedicate one of the sessions to a review of the currentsituation with respect to cancer registration on the continent. The decision was made to hold a special poster sessionto which participants with a sound knowledge of cancer registration in their country would be invited to contribute.Guidelines were proposed with respect to the content of the poster. The posters were on view during the conferenceand a special plenary session in the afternoon of the second day was dedicated to them. During this session, the Chairmanhighlighted aspects of registry practice and of the resulting data, which emerged from the poster presentations.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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200112http://journal.waocp.org/article_29528_19e7e51ae768b54929c3f7939d475fb1.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in Chinatextarticle2001engSurveillance of Cancer Mortality in 1973-75At the end of 1970’s, the most unforgettable and important event in cancer control of China was the national survey ofcancer mortality for the period of 1973 – 1975, which was organized by the Chinese Ministry of Public Health. For the firsttime, this gave a clear picture of the geographic distribution of different cancers in Mainland China. The survey coveredalmost every corner of China, and provided very reliable information on cancer mortality. The best known publicationwas the Atlas of Cancer Mortality in the People’s Republic of China, edited by Li Junyao and 30 others, and published bythe China Map Press in 1979. After publication of the survey results, a number of international collaborative studies wereconducted in those areas with a high mortality from specific cancers, such as esophageal cancer in Linzhou city (Lin Xiancounty) and liver cancer in Qidong city (Qidong county). There has been no other comparable achievement in the descriptiveepidemiology of cancer in China.Survey of Cancer PrevalenceAfter 1977, many new cancer hospitals and cancer institutes were established nationwide. For many of these new institutions,cancer epidemiology was a key task, due to the healthcare policy at that time, emphasising “prevention is moreimportant than treatment”. Cancer registration was conducted in some areas. For those without constant cancer registration,a survey of cancer prevalence was thought to be an easy way to have information about cancer incidence and mortality rates.Due to shortage of funds, lack of experienced staff, and other reasons, only a few cancer registries were able to develop tointernational standards in a short time, and these have become the main resource for data on cancer incidence data in China.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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200138http://journal.waocp.org/article_29529_cfe49170ec42f1eca00f8d2aa05c892a.pdfHistory of the Hong Kong Cancer Registrytextarticle2001engThe Hong Kong Cancer Registry is population-based. It was first established in 1963 and is currently run by staff ofDepartment of Clinical Oncology in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hospital Authority. The registry is staffed by a ClinicalOncologist, 2 full-time statistical analysts and 4 registrars. The registry prepares an annual report of cancer incidence andmortality, highlighting trends and changes.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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2001912http://journal.waocp.org/article_29530_d87e13acfb31d58ba3a13a287e356b0b.pdfHistory of Population Based Cancer Registries in Indiatextarticle2001engThe challenge of population based cancer registration in developing countries is enormous. The first population basedcancer registry named Bombay Cancer Registry, was established by the Indian Cancer Society in Mumbai (formerly Bombay)in 1963 covering the urban population of the Mumbai Agglomeration. This was followed by the setting up of threesatellite registries of the Bombay Cancer Registry in the State of Maharashtra at Pune (in 1972), Aurangabad (in 1978) andNagpur (in 1983). Realising cancer as a significant health problem and the need to implement cancer control activity inthe country, the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) was launched by the Indian Council of Medical Researchof Government of India. The main objectives of NCRP were (i) to generate authentic data on the magnitude of cancerproblem (ii) to undertake epidemiological investigations and advise control measures and (iii) to promote human resourcedevelopment in cancer epidemiology. By this way, two new population based cancer registries were founded in Chennai(formerly Madras) and Bangalore in 1981, besides augmenting the Bombay Cancer Registry, with the systematic data collectionstarting on 1st January 1982. Subsequently, new population based cancer registries were commissioned in Bhopal(in 1984) and New Delhi (in 1986) and a rural registry in Barshi, Maharashtra (1987). All of the above mentioned urbanpopulation based cancer registries cover about 13% of the country’s urban population1 and rural registry covers 0.1%1 ofrural population. The existence of the population based cancer registries of India, to date, is given in Table 1.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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20011320http://journal.waocp.org/article_29531_5094660da0ef6a6bc647f66ef273e802.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in Indonesiatextarticle2001engCancer data in Indonesia are mainly based on pathology diagnosis, compiled from all pathology laboratories. Cancer dataproduced by other departments (e.g Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology ) comprise case series of cases seen or treated inthat department. Some cancer data were also obtainable from reports of hospitals, recording the numbers of cancer patientstreated as inpatients or outpatients.Before 1970 health facilities ( including medical doctors and diagnostic equipment ) were very minimal especially in thecancer field. The first priority at that time was to overcome infectious diseases which were the most important causes ofmorbidity and mortality. A first step toward population based cancer registration was taken by the department of pathologyDiponegoro University in Semarang. Since 1970, this registry has been able to produce minimum incidence rates of cancerfor the population of Semarang city. Population based cancer incidence data have been available since 1985, the first datafrom the cancer registry in Semarang, for the period 1985-1989, was published in 1990, with support by the IndonesianCancer Foundation.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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20012124http://journal.waocp.org/article_29532_9e1c6d6cc00a060369668d8b9bf68709.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in Koreatextarticle2001engIt was not until 1980 that cancer registration was started in Korea; official registration began with the financial supportof World Health Organization on July 1st of that year. Forty-five training and two non-training hospitals throughout thecountry initiated voluntary registration of patients in whom neoplasia had been found. All completed data sheets, containing15 items of patient information, were to be sent from each hospital to the Korean Central Cancer Registry Center (KCCR)at the National Medical Center (1). A few years later, the Ministry of Health and Welfare compelled all the university andtraining hospitals to join the program.The KCCR has continued without interruption and has published an annual report. The number of member hospitals andregistered cancer cases has been increasing steadily year by year. In 1998, around 89,000 cases from 124 hospitals wereregistered throughout the country (2). Although the KCCR is a national cancer control program and covers almost all thelarge training hospitals in Korea, it cannot provide incidence data. It is, however, the only registry of its kind in the world,being neither population nor hospital based.In 1983, a PBCR was launched in a small county, Kangwha, by Yonsei University Medical College. Kangwha County isa small island area connected by a bridge to the mainland, and is 50 Km from Seoul. It has around 80,000 inhabitants. Alldata were collected by active methods, and incidence statistics for 1986-1992 appeared in Vol. VII of the Cancer Incidencein Five Continents . However, the population covered is too small to be representative of the whole of Korea.In 1990, the initial study for a PBCR in Seoul was carried out by several researchers including this author. It was supportedby a civilian foundation, the Korean Foundation for Cancer Research. The study had two objectives:1) to test thefeasibility of operating a population based cancer registry in the Seoul area, with dual sources of case registration, i.e.,from the KCCR, but incorporating cases diagnosed in small hospitals, and 2) to provide the cancer incidence for all sites inthe Seoul area with completeness and validity assessment. In 1993 the major findings were reported, and it was suggestedthat the methods of data collection used in the study could be used as a model for a future population based cancer registryin other areas of Korea (3). The Seoul cancer registry (SCR) started in 1991 and has operated continuously since then (4).The program and methodology used by the SCR was later extended to other large cities: Busan in 1995, Daegu and Kwangjuin 1996, Incheon in 1997, and Daejeon in 1998 (Fig1). In each area a study of patterns of utilization of existing medicalfacilities by cancer patients was first carried out, and after this the registry was launched. As of 2000, six population basedcancer registries are running in Korea. The Kangwha area, the earliest registry area, merged with Incheon.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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20013942http://journal.waocp.org/article_29534_978e138a129c1c40a9ba3043dfc46544.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in Pakistantextarticle2001engThe ‘Karachi Cancer Registry’ (KCR) is the first population-based cancer registry in Pakistan. The Government of Sindhestablished it in January 1995, in collaboration with the Unit of Descriptive Epidemiology, International Agency for Researchon Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The registry has completed 5 years of data collection.Previous to this there has been no cancer incidence data available from anywhere in Pakistan over the last five decades.Sporadic relative frequency information from hospitals, including the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and anetwork of hospital registries coordinated by the Pakistan Medical and Research Council (PMRC).1,2,3 had been available,with associated selection biases.The registry publishes annual reports and data were published earlier this year, with the help of IARC4.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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20015154http://journal.waocp.org/article_29535_c759cfc19fe98f5c4c6f37143974c472.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in the Philippinestextarticle2001engThe first attempt at cancer registration in the Philippines was in 1959 when the Philippine Cancer Society tried unsuccessfullyto organize a National Cancer Registry. In 1968, the Philippine Cancer Society launched the Central TumorRegistry of the Philippines (CTRP), covering 25 hospitals in Metro Manila and one in Cebu, relying completely on passivenotifications.The Department of Health-Rizal Cancer Registry (DOH-RCR), the first population-based cancer registry in the Philippines,was launched in 1974 as an activity of the Community Cancer Control Program of Rizal. Its catchment area is the originalprovince of Rizal with its 26 municipalities, comprising a land area of 1343 sq. kms. Although twelve of its municipalitieswere incorporated to the National Capital Region in 1975, the registry maintained the same catchment area. Initially, theDOH-RCR relied solely on passive notifications from physicians and hospitals but it shifted to an active method of datacollection in 1980, due to a high degree of underreporting. A retrospective collection of data on cancer cases diagnosed from1978 onwards was carried out in 69 hospitals in Metro Manila and in Rizal province. Death certificates were reviewed tocomplete data collection. The 1978-82 data from the DOH-RCR were analyzed at the International Agency for Researchon Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France and published in ‘Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, Vol. V’ in 1987.In 1983, the CTRP was re-oriented to become the second population-based cancer registry in the Philippines and wasrenamed as the Philippine Cancer Society-Manila Cancer Registry (PCS-MCR). Its catchment area, a total land area of266.5 sq. km, include the four cities of Manila, Pasay, Caloocan and Quezon City. In 1984, it began a cooperative effortwith the DOH-RCR, and adopting the active method of data collection, covered 72 hospitals and 30 local civil registryoffices within the National Capital Region and Rizal province, retrospectively collecting data on cancer cases diagnosedfrom 1980 onwards Currently, both registries cover 131 hospitals.The third population-based registry in the Philippines, the Cebu Cancer Registry (CCR), was founded in February 1988as an activity of the the RAFI-Eduardo J. Aboitiz Cancer Center (EJACC)). Its catchment area, a land area of 793 sq km.,includes the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-lapu and the eight municipalities of Talisay, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando,Cordova, Consolacion, Liloan, and Compostela. Using the active method of data collection, the CCR retrospectivelygathers information on cancer cases from 1983 onwards from 22 hospitals, 3 laboratories 2 oncology clinics and 11 localcivil registry offices. Its ten-year data (1983-1992) has been analyzed with the assistance of the IARC and is being preparedfor publication. Details of the data could not be released pending its publication.The fourth population-based cancer registry in the Philippines, the Davao Cancer Registry (DCR) was initially started in1991 but was not continued. In 1998, with support from the Andres Soriano Cancer Foundation, the Davao Doctors Hospital,and the PCS-Davao Division, the registry was re-launched, with Davao City as its catchment area, with an estimatedland area of 2, 211.3 sq. km. Using the active method of data collection, data for 1993-1997 has been completed and arecurrently being analyzed.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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20015560http://journal.waocp.org/article_29536_a65dff15602d7e1b371a1b2e70496674.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in the Countrytextarticle2001engCancer registration activity dates back to 1968 when the first cancer registration program was launched as a collaborativeresearch agreement between the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Institute for Health Studiesaffiliated to the Tehran University School of Public Health, in order to study the high incidence of esophageal cancer in theprovince of Mazandran (1,2,3). By 1971, this registry expanded its activity to cover whole area of Caspian littoral (fromNorth of Khorasan province to North of East-Azarbaijan province). This registry was able to generate population datafor ten years (1968 to 1979). Activity ceased in early 1980 and then in 1991, the registry started again to collect data oncancer cases referred to local cancer treatment facilities. Another population based cancer registry was established in Farsprovince in 1976, and expanded its activity to neighboring provinces (Bakhtaran and Khozestan provinces). The activitiesof this registry were limited to registration of histopathologically confirmed cases referred to the pathology departments,or cases referred for treatment to radiotherapy facilities in the Shiraz University Cancer Treatment Center. The Fars registryis still publishing cancer frequency data, without reference to a defined population (4,5).In 1984 a bill was passed from the National House of Representative requiring compulsory reporting of cancer cases tothe Ministry of Health and Medical Education; however, due to lacking of a functional system to manage this compulsoryreporting, no morbidity or mortality data were generated (6). In 1993, the Cancer Institute affiliated to Tehran Universityof Medical Sciences with a grant from Ministry of Health and Medical Education initiated a cancer registry program, toassist public health authorities in different regions of the country to establish regional population based cancer registries(7).This campaign resulted in series of activities in different regions including a collaborative research agreement with IARC(Dec. 1999) to establish a population based cancer registration in the Tehran metropolitan area.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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20012529http://journal.waocp.org/article_29533_e448c243f35273d4d572a06e1c476c83.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in the City-Statetextarticle2001engSingapore is a tiny city-state of 660 km2, with a total population of 3.9 million. The resident population (3.2 million) ispredominantly Chinese (77%), with 14% Malays and 8% Indians. The life expectancy is 75.6 years for males, 79.6 yearsfor females with a low infant mortality rate of 3.2 per 1,000 live births. Cancer is the commonest cause of death (26.6%)followed closely by ischaemic and other heart diseases (25.3%).The Singapore Cancer Registry (SCR) was founded in 1968 as a population-based registry covering the entire nationalpopulation. The registry collects notifications from medical practitioners of all cancer patients in Singapore. Reports ofcancer cases from pathology laboratories and hospital discharges are also routinely sent to the SCR. Singapore has a uniquenational registration number (NRIC) for all Singaporeans and permanent residents. For foreigners working in Singapore,a unique foreign identification number (FIN) is also available. These unique numbers have helped in identifying duplicateregistrations and record linkages.The SCR has electronic record linkage with the Death Register to ascertain the proportionof death certificate only notifications (DCOs). Over the 30-year period, the DCOs have declined from 5% to 1%, and theproportion of cases with microscopic confirmation has increased from 72.3% to 88.9%The SCR has published five monographs describing the trends of cancer incidence rates among the resident population(Singaporeans and permanent residents). In the latest monograph covering 1993-1997, cancer incidence among non-residentswas also described. Recently, in conjunction with the International Agency of Research on Cancer, a population-basedsurvival analysis was conducted. Several publications and a monograph are currently being prepared. Selected results ofthe incidence and survival will be presented.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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20016570http://journal.waocp.org/article_29537_e20219eb8080521fe12f28a3989b51d4.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in Omantextarticle2001engThe Sultanate of Oman is located in the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula (Fig 1). The total area is approximately309,500 square kilometers and it is the second largest country in the Arabian Peninsula. The Sultanate is composedof varying topographic areas consisting of plains, wadis (dry riverbeds) and mountains. The estimated mid year populationin 1999 was 2,325,460 of which 1,729,330 were Omanis and 596,130 were expatriates. The Omani population shows a sexratio of 103 males per 100 females (1).The Cancer Registry in Oman was established in 1985 as a hospital based cancer registry. Only cases treated in tertiaryhospitals were included. In 1996, with the establishment of the Non-Communicable Diseases Control Section, the cancerregistry was shifted and started functioning under the Directorate General of Health Affairs as a population based registry.New cancer notification forms were developed and distributed to all regional hospitals and sister institutions. The cancerregistrar is responsible for data collection, coding and data entry.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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20017174http://journal.waocp.org/article_29538_c19f9d8719700e9a609ce1124d0476e0.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in Taiwantextarticle2001engThe Taiwan Cancer Registry was founded in 1979 by the National Department of Health with an aim to estimate thecancer incidence in Taiwan. It is a population-based cancer registry with the collection of information on cancer patientsnewly diagnosed in hospitals with 50 or more beds throughout the country. The registry is financially supported by thegovernment agency. Registration fees are paid to the reporting hospitals on the basis of case number reported. Since 1994,the registry has been contracted to and run by the Taiwan Public Health Association. The registry center has an epidemiologistas the director, a postdoctoral research fellow and eight cancer registrars. The registry has an advisory board including18 members with specialties in pathology, oncology, radiotherapy, cancer registry, and public health. The first volume ofCancer Registry Annual Report for the 1980 incidence data was published in 1982.Taiwan has a main island and several small islets including Penghu, Kinmen, Matzu, and Orchid Islet as shown in Figure1. It has an area of 36,000 km2 located at the latitude of 24oN and the longitude of 121oE. At the end of 1999, the totalpopulation in Taiwan was 22,092,387 including 11,312,728 males and 10,779,659 females.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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20017578http://journal.waocp.org/article_29541_84d77447869dbcfe3bb8f7b525886bc9.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in Thailandtextarticle2001engCancer registration was started in 1971 by the National Cancer Institute, with the collection of information on cancerpatients treated in 53 hospitals throughout the country. Data collection relied upon passive notification. This systemwas unsatisfactory; most community hospitals did not contribute, and notification from others was incomplete. The firstpopulation-based cancer registry started in 1986 in Chiang Mai, followed by Khon Kaen in 1988, Songkhla and Bangkokin 1990 and Lampang in 1993. With the cooperation of the registries, the National Cancer Institute in Bangkok, and theInternational Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the first volume of Cancer in Thailand was published in 1993. Thesecond volume, with data from 1992-1994 was published in 1999.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682

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20017984http://journal.waocp.org/article_29539_f14b47aa520956388f79732986acef1f.pdfHistory of Cancer Registration in Vietnamtextarticle2001engVietnam is a very populous developing country with the population in 1999’s census of more than 76 million and populationdensity of 231 pers/km2. The annual population grow rate in 1999 was 1.8%. It is an “young” population with 50%inhabitants under the age of 25. The life expectancy at birth is 65 in males and 70 in females. The country is divided into8 ecological regions and 61 provinces. The income estimated in 1999 is about 400 USD per capita. It is still a largely agricultureeconomy with two thirds of its population still dependent on agriculture for living.The first population based cancerregistry had been established in Hanoi in 1988 by the National Cancer Institute collecting the information of cancer patientsfrom 22 different hospitals and medical research institutes in the city. The population of city following the 1999 censuswas 2672122. In 1990, a population-based cancer registry of Ho Chi Minh City had been founded by the oncology centerof HCMC (Table 1). The population of city in 1999 was 5037155. Population based cancer registries of other provincessuch as Hue, Hai phong, and Thai Nguyen are now being founded.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer PreventionWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP)1513-73682